Family: Children

Family: Children

She Took the Children
A little boy after reading Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," asked his mother which of the characters she liked best.
She replied, "Christian, of course; he is the hero of the story."
The child responded, "Mother, I like Christiana best, because when Christian set out on his pilgrimage he went alone, but when Christiana started she took the children with her."

Hall of Fame
When he entered baseball's Hall of Fame, ex-slugger Harmon Killebrew recalled, "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.'
"'We're not raising grass,'Dad would reply, 'We're raising boys!'"

How Is Your Influence?
Max Jukes lived in New York. He did not believe in Christ or in Christian training. He refused to take his children to church, even when they asked to go. He has had 1,026 descendants-300 were sent to prison for an average term of 13 years each; 190 were public prostitutes; 680 were admitted alcoholics. His family thus far, has cost the state in excess of $420,000. They have made no contribution to society that is of any benefit.
Jonathan Edwards lived in the same state, at the same time as Jukes. He loved the Lord and saw that his children were in church every Sunday, as he served the Lord to the best of his ability. He has had 929 descendants-of these, 430 were ministers; 86 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; five were elected to the United States Congress and two to the Senate. One was Vice-President of this nation. His family never cost the state one cent but has contributed immeasurably to the life of plenty in this land today.
How is your influence and what legacy will you leave with your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?

Early Childhood: An Enemy Stronghold
Is Satan actually interested in the childhood years? After all, children from birth to six could not be any real threat to him and his forces of darkness. Or could they?
Scripture tells us that Timothy, while still young enough to have to be fed, dressed and carried, knew the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15). He had an experiential knowledge of them; they meant something to him. Samuel's heart was already submissive at weaning when taken to the temple to serve God (1 Sam. 1). John the Baptist leaped in the womb at the presence of Jesus in Mary's womb.
It has been said, "Give me a child the first six years of his life and you can do what you will with him thereafter." It is during that short period that the bulk of a child's personality, character, habits and intellectual makeup is established.
The battle lines in the warfare for our children's souls are clear. God says, "All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13, NKJV). "By the year 2000 we will, I hope," says Women's Lib advocate and Ms. magazine editor Gloria Steinem, "raise our children to believe in human potential, not God."
Already born with an "I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it" nature, preschoolers are ripe to fall prey to a love for the world and all that is in it (1 John 2:15-16).
Satan's snares are everywhere. The Saturday morning cartoon lineup is just one classic example. Constant scenes of violence and moral decadence purposefully desensitize impressionable minds. Hidden behind many of the seemingly cute and innocent cartoons are occult symbolisms. "Magic" lures them to eventually practice witchcraft. Youngsters, bombarded with appeals to materialism, plead, "Buy that for me, Daddy!" They can then vicariously "act out" cartoons and movies through similar toys.
Another please-meism snare are story books which convey that all of life is meant to be "fun, fun, fun." This attitude is further exemplified in shows like "Sesame Street" which teach that entertainment and education are inseparable. (Entertainment is Satan's counterfeit for joy.) Then there are Satan's whispers in parents' minds: "Play is a child's work. Let kids be kids! Their natures are innocent; they should be free to explore. Curriculum should be fun, according to the interests of each child and his experience."
Bit by bit, preschoolers can thus be taken captive because what they think upon, they will become (Proverbs 23:7).
What can concerned parents do to prevent this from happening? We must stay alert to Satan's tactics and teach our children how to put on the whole armor of God to withstand his attacks (Ephesians 6:10-12). This means actively, constantly and purposefully teaching them the love, discipline and understanding of God's Word. No time of day is exempt from this responsibility (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Therefore, providing a God-centered, God-purposed education is also essential. In other words, every day should be consistent with Philippians 4:8. The ultimate objective should be to rear our children to view the world as a spiritual battleground-not a playground! For then they will be truly equipped for every good work, thinking and living as mature Christians (2 Timothy 3:17). A Child's Ten Commandments to Parents
My hands are small; please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.
My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely: don't restrict me unnecessarily.
Housework will always be there. I'm only little for such a short time-please take this time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.
My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.
I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.
I need your encouragement, but not your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.
Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail; so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I'll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.
Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me with my brother or my sister.
Please don't be afraid to leave for the weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.
Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

Let the Children Instruct Us!
Many of us come to worship expecting to be entertained. If the song leader is not great, if the preacher is not polished, and if the Scripture readers and prayer leaders are just common, they are disappointed, and often times seek a new congregation. As children participate in family devotionals, they always show great interest. The song leading is rarely great, but they are familiar with the songs so they sing with great enthusiasm. As they pray, and are led in prayer, it is with a keen interest in all that has happened that day, and with a Bible story, even if it is the twelfth time they have heard it. Why all this interest? Why are they not as "fickle" as those we mentioned above. The answer is obvious, RELATIONSHIP! Children are participating in a family event, therefore, they are interested. This is Mom and Dad stuff! Brothers and sisters are involved! This is who they are, therefore it is vital and important to them. They appreciate every little thing that is being done.
We need to let the children instruct us. We have allowed the thinking and philosophy of a spoiled world influence our thinking in the church, AND IT IS NOT GOOD! When we gather together, there is a lot of family stuff going on. Our Father is to be worshiped, our brothers are leading, our sisters are singing, there is a lot of our relationship going into that special time. What is wrong is that we have forgotten who we are, so the unique privilege is lost on us. We have come as one who expects to be entertained, not as a family member who expects to participate and appreciate. It is just that simple. If we will remember the relationship, we can better appreciate worship, even when it is not all that polished! Let the children speak!

Teenagers, the TV and the Garden
A teenager was lounging on the floor watching TV when the phone rang. "Hello, son," said the voice. "Where is your mother?" "She is out working in the garden." "What?" barked the father. "Your mother is not as young and strong as she used to be. Why are you not helping her?" "I can't," was the reply. "Grandma is using the other hoe."

Preparing Kids for Life
We want to send our children into the world with solid gold values that cannot be destroyed. A wise Dutch grandmother helped us think about it in this way: When our kids go off to camp, we don't just shove them empty-handed out the door with a cheery admonition to "have a great time!" We send them off prepared by packing a suitcase filled with all the things they'll need to survive and enjoy the experience. And if we're not sure what they'll need, we compare notes with other parents and check with the camp counselors. Since we won't be with them, we want to know they're leaving us with everything they need firmly in hand for the whole time they are away.
This defines parenting in a nutshell-but instead of Camp Muskeeta-bite-a as their destination, we're packing up our kids to head for Life. During the 18 or 20 years they'll live under our roofs, our task is to equip them with all they'll need to go on as God's people through the rest of their lives, without us constantly at their side. That means without our dollars, our direction, our discipline, or our devotion to God.
In packing for Life, forgetting to instill an essential godly quality can have devastating consequences. Not knowing how to handle money can lead to financial ruin. Not being able to establish a loving relationship can bring them to divorce. Not discovering God for themselves can leave them spiritually empty and lost.

Overboard With Praise
It's possible. Dr. Ralph Minear, of the pediatrics department at Harvard Medical School, thinks we modern parents have gone overboard with most everything else. In his book Kids Who Have Too Much, he warns, "A social epidemic is endangering the physical and emotional health of our country's children. 'Affluenza,'the Rich Kids Syndrome, attacks not only the children of the wealthy but also those of middle-class and low-income families. Parents are pressuring their children into becoming over-achievers, while giving them excessive amounts of freedom, money, food, information and protection."
But is there a way to affirm our children without overdosing them on overblown accolades? Here are five "don'ts" to guide us:
Don't praise the kids for routinely taking care of the everyday necessities of life.
Don't praise the kids in extravagant terms for average achievements.
You don't have to provide opportunities for your kids to do everything.
Don't console the kids when what they need is challenge.
Don't take responsibility for things that aren't a parent's responsibility.

Turning Over Responsibilities
When our children are small, we carry enormous responsibility for them. But as they grow, we must turn over to them, one by one, responsibilities that are rightly theirs. They may not carry them as well as we did, and they may even fail sometimes. But if they are to be our heirs, they're going to inherit adult responsibilities as well as adult privileges.
How much more acceptable it is for them if we allow them to inherit those responsibilities a little at a time, not dumping them on them all at once when they are out of our house for good! And how comforting if we strengthen them to carry those responsibilities, cheering them on with encouragement that's based in reality.

Passing the Baton
A thought that strikes deeply is this: Many times a relay race is lost in passing the baton. We don't want to fail to pass the baton of hard work and money-sense to our children simply because our life circumstances aren't forcing us to do so.
Our children may well see a day when money doesn't come as easily as it does now. Their ability to sweat and scrimp may make the difference between surviving or sinking. And even if that doesn't happen, we believe knowing the joy of working hard and living simply will free them to live a happier and more God-honoring life.